Is there anything more delightful than a 4 year old? They’re snuggly, cute, sweet, sticky, honest, quick-witted, strong-willed, hilarious, cuddly, and just plain a joy to be around.
Well, unless they’re hungry or tired. But really, you could say the same about all of us when it comes down to it.
When your favorite 3 year old is about to become your favorite 4 year old, a great present is a must! Here are 21 ideas that are certain to please all miniature human beans everywhere.
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Greatest Gifts for 4 Year Olds
Explore the best and most creative gifts for every child’s interest.
1. Most Exciting 4 Year Old Gift: Sports Utility Vehicle
If you’re hoping to get the title of Greatest Uncle Ever, or Favorite Dad on the Planet, you’re going to want to look into this electric sports utility vehicle! Your 4 year old will be stunned and will likely whoop for joy when he or she spots this. Vroom!
But maybe you aren’t sure how you’re going to wrap a gift this large. A huge bow? Here are some great ways to wrap oversized presents.
2. Best 4 Year Old Gift for Boys: 3 Mile Walkie Talkies
Roger, roger, over and out! Hide and seek has never been more fun than it is with a pair of these 3-mile range walkie talkies. One for you and one for him!
It even makes chores more fun: ‘Jimmy, this is your mother. Put your shoes away and wash up for dinner! Over.’ Well, more fun for you at least.
3. Best 4 Year Old Gift for Girls: Crochet Ballerina Doll Set
If there are cuter or sweeter dollies out there, we’ve yet to find any! Why? Because these handcrafted ballerina dolls come personalized and in your choice of adorable girl, bunny, or unicorn styles.
Your little 4-year old prodigy can practice all her ballet moves alongside her special cuddly doll, and it easily packs into Mom’s purse when they’re on the go.
4. Best Books for 4 Year Old
The title alone makes it a favorite already! With colorful and bright illustrations and a witty tale to tell, this will be read over and over until it’s memorized or falls apart (whichever comes first). If you’re going to read the same story each night, it might as well be one that you love too, are we right?
- Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry. The signature drawing style of Richard Scarry is perfect for mobile machinery.
- Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. The timeless tale of a mama duck trying to navigate her ducklings through the busy streets of Boston.
- Elephant & Piggie Collection by Mo Willems. If any modern easy-reader series can already claim the title of a classic, it’s this one. Silly and fun, with creative and attractive artwork. Your four year old will love it.
- Anything by Shirley Hughes. These are sweet and old-timey picture books that every child will love.
- Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids: 50 Creative Projects to Spark Curiosity in the Outdoors. Just like the title says – loads of outdoor fun!
- My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. Perfect for reading aloud.
5. Best Bedtime Gift for 4 Year Old: Nightlight Star Projector
The dark has never been more cozy and delightful than it will be with this nightlight and timer-projector with constellations and stars.
Their bedtime will be soothing and educational one with one of these, and it will light Mom and Dad’s way when they come in at night after a bad dream (Plus: bonus for not stepping on Legos in the dark).
6. Best Educational Toy for 4 Year Old: Brain Flakes
The best toys are the ones that have no limit when it comes to imagination. Some games and toys have only one “right” way to play, but not Brain Flakes. With these interlocking shapes and blocks, the sky’s the limit!
Colorful and smooth to the touch, Brain Flakes will keep your 4 year old entertained day after day, hour after hour.
7. Best Creative Gift for 4 Year Old: Paint with Water!
Be honest, us boring adults remember the magic of Paint with Water books! Now you can pass that magic down to your 4 year old and watch as your budding artist blooms in front of your eyes. If you’re lucky, they might let you have a sheet to paint as well.
For a more sophisticated version (for the kid, or maybe as a paired gift for mom and dad!), explore free and creative water painting with the original Buddha Board.
The nice thing about painting with water? No mess!
Related: Here Are The Most Annoying Kids Toys, Ever [Parents Beware]
8. Best Personalized Gift for 4 Year Old: Their Own Name Puzzle
4 year olds are beginning to recognize and spell their own names so they’ll be ecstatic over something as cool as this personalized puzzle!
Adorably illustrated and sturdy enough in case they have a younger sibling who likes to chew on things, this puzzle will be cherished for years. Personalize with their name or to make it extra charming, their nickname.
9. Best Gift for Nature Loving 4 Year Old: Butterfly Growing Kit
Almost all 4 year olds love nature and bugs! Watch their wheels spin and their imagination take flight along with their caterpillar friends with this butterfly growing kit.
This gift will be the talk of their preschool or neighborhood play dates and it’s all thanks to you! (Note: be prepared for each caterpillar to get his own name).
10. Most Meaningful Gift for 4 Year Old
Just because they’re pint-sized doesn’t mean they won’t like a meaningful or sentimental gift! These pretty and shiny sister necklaces will make her eyes light up and make dress-up (whether at play or for a special occasion) even more beautiful.
Personalize with whatever you like, and we think a little jewelry box to keep them in might be something fun too.
Related: 50 Timeless Jewelry Gifts for Kids
11. Best Christmas Gift for 4 Year Old
Playing “house” may just be the oldest (and funniest) game in the world. Let them set up house in this sturdy and good-looking playhouse, while you watch their imaginations soar.
Decorating and adding in their favorite playthings will so much fun, and they’ll sure love the functional doors and windows.
10 More 4 Year Old Gift Ideas
Here are ten more terrific gift ideas to make your four year old’s birthday the best!
12. Balance Training Bike
Note that these really work to help kids learn balance. By removing the pedals and having them push with their feet and lift up to glide, they’ll learn how to ride a bike without even thinking about it. Skip the training wheels entirely! What a great invention.
These balance bikes come in a great assortment of bright and cheery colors, sure to please the pickiest of 4 year old, and will be mastered quickly and easily.
No more traumatic weekends of crashing and tears when the training wheels come off, just hours and hours of exploring and athletic play.
13. Waldorf-Style Wooden Nesting House Play Set
Smooth to the touch, this intricate Waldorf style puzzle is a keeper for sure! Inside the “house” shape are a table, chairs, and much more.
This old-fashioned set boasts a sweet shape and well-made pieces that won’t clutter up the living room with media or battery-operated toys. Instead, the toy adds to your home’s esthetic, all while providing educational and important skills at play.
Related: 10 Classic Kids Toys They’ll Play With For *Years*
14. Felt Under The Sea
Let your little one rearranges their undersea world as much as they like with this creative and sweet flannel/felt wall-hanging. They’ll make up stories about their ocean friends for hours!
When quiet play is the name of the game, you (and your four-year-old!) will love this one.
15. Creative Sidewalk Chalk Bucket
Long gone are the boring old sticks of chalk… enter this fun and exciting set! Perfect for chubby little hands, this chalk set includes holders and stencils along with plenty of colorful chalk sticks and eggs.
Your 4-year old artist will decorate your sidewalk for blocks and blocks. Hopscotch is only the beginning with this fun gift!
16. First Fridge
Whether they want to playhouse, store, restaurant, or have their own YouTube cooking show, this fun little first fridge will be the perfect addition to their imagination!
They can whip up pretend recipes right alongside Mom or Dad as they prepare dinner, make shopping lists with Gramma, and serve their friends a cute “lunch.”
17. Track Playset
For your little racetrack driver, this track playset will provide hours of driving and crashing fun! It’s bright and sturdy (no snapping or breaking pieces here), and perfectly fits all sorts of cars and trucks. Get their motor skills running!
18. Wooden Carrot Harvest Play Set
How adorable is this carrot harvest toy set? With its quirky wooden farmer, colorful rainbow carrots, and stack of sunny cards, this hits all the right notes when you’re looking for something for the 4 year old who loves to play in the dirt!
19. Cardboard Box Blank Canvas Playhouse
Everyone loves a good DIY project, and 4 year olds are no exception to the rule! Let them go crazy with their crayons, paint, pencils, stickers, or markers as they make this cardboard castle their very own, one-of-a-kind dwelling fit for a king or queen.
It’s the perfect 4-year-old birthday gift for that one kid who always likes to play with the box more than the cool toy. This time, the toy is the box!!
20. Hanging Hammock Chair
A quiet place to read or nap or simply watch a movie, this hanging hammock is going to make them clap in excitement. A swing in the house? Yes please! Plus, it’s sturdy and easy to hang.
As a bonus, these hammocks have proven to be a safe, soothing space for those who are often anxious or easily overstimulated. Pair it with one of our recommended books (see above) for the perfect quiet time gift!
Related: 45 Best Outdoor Toys for Screen-Free Play
21. Sit n’ Spin
Sometimes you can’t go wrong with a classic! There isn’t a 4 year old alive who wouldn’t love their very own Sit and Spin, even if you have to show them how it’s done first. You wild thing, you.
4 Year Old Party Ideas
Cowboy/cowgirl party
Red and white checkered tablecloths, boots and hats, lots of country music, and bonus if you can provide a pony ride!
Tea party
Dress up and provide lots of tea (cooled down, of course), sugar cubes, honey swizzle sticks, lemon wedges, and don’t forget the prettiest of cakes (or petit fours)!
Seaside party
No matter if you’re landlocked: buy some fresh sand for the sandbox, add in plastic buckets and spades, dress in swimsuits and turn on the sprinkler! Flipflops are a great party guest gift, and don’t forget to provide popsicles and watermelon.
Firepit and s’mores party
Just a little supervision is all they need for a good time! Graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows: just add in party goers (and maybe some wet wipes).
Homemade pizza party
4 year olds love helping in the kitchen and they’re actually getting to the age where they can be helpful (and not just messy). Provide balls of dough for everyone to roll out for their own mini pizza. Different toppings make for a delicious adventure! You can also do a dessert pizza instead of a cake.
Old-fashioned candy store party
Fill jars and containers with swizzle sticks, peppermints, licorice ropes, gummy bears, and the like. Print out old-fashioned looking menus, paper money to “spend,” and paper bags or cones to fill.
Music party
Play musical chairs, have a dance-off, and sing Happy Birthday as loudly as possible! Another fun alternative would be to rent a karaoke machine.
Related: Birthday Party Etiquette [For Kids!]
4 Year Old Birthday Quotes
Put these birthday quotes for four year olds in a card, in your RSVP, in the decor, or simply read on and have a laugh.
There is no negotiation with a four year old…
Sorry we’re late. I got into an argument with my four year old about wearing pants.
Hell hath no fury like a four year old who got a sandwich cut into squares instead of triangles.
Sometimes you just need to talk to both a four year old and an 84 year old to make sense of life.
The average four year old asks 437 questions per day.
More gift ideas:
- 3 Year Old Gifts
- 4 Year Old Gifts [this post!]
- 5 Year Old Gifts
- 6 Year Old Gifts
